Sulfur, generally in the nature of organosulfur molecules, is an undesirable contaminant in many hydrocarbon streams and volumes having hydrocarbon carbon chain lengths of from C1 to C30, some of which may be utilized as or in fuels containing hydrocarbon molecules having C1-C12.
Additives currently used to reduce sulfur content only work on inorganic forms of sulfur (mainly hydrogen sulfide, H2S) or low molecular weight (C1-C4) mercaptans. To remove high molecular weight (C5+) mercaptans, disulfides, thioethers and other sulfur compounds, the literature suggests oxidizing agents, such as a peroxide, e.g. hydrogen peroxide, is needed to convert the sulfur species into water soluble sulfoxides or sulfones which can be extracted from the hydrocarbon.
Future gasoline specifications in the United States require sulfur compounds to be reduced to very low levels. The levels are low enough that gasoline blend components such as butanes containing sulfur compounds will make the finished gasoline fail sulfur limits. Refiners desire to limit their capital expenditures and seek alternatives to the building of additional hydrotreating capacity, so they are seeking alternatives to remove these sulfur compounds from their distillates.
It would be desirable to remove sulfur compounds from refinery distillate streams using an alternative process to those presently in use.